sorka

Those who play loud and have their top down a lot are most likely to have the problem sooner. The equalizer changes when you take the top down to compensate for the fact that the cabin is no longer a ported enclosure. Normally in convertibles, you lose a lot of bass when you open the top but the SC430 cleverly compensates by changing the EQ which results in much more bass and much more stress on the foam surrounds.

One benefit of the foam is that it allows the speaker to be more efficient and product more volume with lower power but they of course fall apart after a few years. My 2007 is still fine on the originals and I pretty much blast it all the time with the top down

2wPushkins

Update on speaker issue -- after talking to a few audio places -- none of which gave me any confidence, I bit the bullet and bought ML replacement speakers which sound great. My plan was to save the old speakers in case the new ones blew. I even ordered the "fix" from Simply Speakers.

But...the speakers did not look "blown" - the rubber and the foam casket appear to be intact -- perfect, actually. So now I'm confused. Do you think that something else could have caused the "blown" sound? Will an audio place test for me? 2002 with 33K. I did a few searches and couldn't find any posts with this issue.

Thanks for all the comments. This site is my new OCD fix!

2wPushkins

Good to hear that your 2007s are still fine. Hopefully, I'll get 7 years out of my new OEM 6 x 9s.

sorka

The typical defect is for the surrounds to fall apart. However, the sound you hear could easily be caused by a blown or partially melted coil.

430keeper

Hope you have a receipt showing a timing belt change...the car is beautiful but 12 years old. $20K is a bit
much for an 02 if it needs $1500 in maintenance (tb, wp, tensioner, idlers, thermostat)...not including speakers.
If not done, that would have been a good bargaining chip. Does it still have the original run flat tires ? If so,
you're looking at another close to another $800 for better riding tires.

2wPushkins

I looked at the maintenance records on the lexus drivers site and carfax and knew the timing belt had not been changed. After I had it home, I brought it to our Lexus service department, after doing the 30K service, they actually said they wouldn't change the timing belt at this time.

I think we paid a premium price for the car, but it is as good as it looks. It has new Michelin tires (6/2014) and a new battery. I felt limited in who I wanted to buy from - was only interested in private sellers or Lexus dealerships. I searched intensely, but not that long in time. I think I may have been able to get as nice a car for a better price, but the amount of time I was spending on the search was racking up. We're happy with what we paid and were very relieved when the service department said the car was in very good shape.

mohrd

iTrader: (3)

Good for you. I think you nailed it. If you are happy with what you got for what you paid, that's all that really matters.

430keeper

I'd find a new Lexus dealer if I were you....to tell a sc430 owner not to change a soon-to-be
13 year old timing belt is not the place I want working on my car. Maybe they want to sell
you a rebuilt engine down the road for $10,000 +. Not trying to be harsh, but this is living
on the edge. Do you have a spare $10,000 to fix it if it slips or breaks ? Not to mention
that the resale value of a car with a rebuilt engine is probably 1/2 of normal price. You have
one of the earliest models, and you're already almost 6 years past the recommended Lexus
belt change interval. Think about this one.

tennman117

I agree with keeper.

I purchased my 02 last month with 50k miles from my local Lexus dealer. Belt had never been replaced.
I would not drive it off the lot until they replaced the belt and water pump.

Just did not want to take that big of a gamble with the engine.

430keeper

Also, remember these are 8 cylinder interference engines....so if that belt has
gotten a little dry from age and slips, or breaks, you are guaranteed disaster...
not "maybe it won't hurt anything"...its as certain as gravity (good movie by
the way). Imagine how many valves are going to get bent with 8 pistons hitting
the odd intake/exhaust valve until that engine winds down. Connecting rods
and crankshaft are vulnerable too. I may have been a little low on my $10,000
figure...depends on the level of destruction and the crazy hourly labor rates
these days.

2wPushkins

Actually, when I found out it did not have the timing belt replaced, my first thought was to have it replaced right away. And when the service manager said he thought I could go a couple of years, I was surprised.

I think I'll bit the bullet now and have it replaced after seeing your advice. Water pump, too, right? I understand they usually do these two service items together.

430keeper

The majority of the cost is labor...so it makes sense to do the water pump as well since you're already
in there. Might be a good idea to also change the thermostat (age affects these too), and check the
cam seals and front crank seal (these are probably ok with your low mileage), and get a new serpentine
belt and accessory belt. Tell the service advisor that you want all your old parts back...its one way to
ensure that they actually do the work and don't just write up a bogus work order. Ask for the mechanic's
name and tell the service advisor that you don't want a "trainee" with minimal supervision doing the
work. They do these all the time, and surgeons do heart surgery all the time...but you don't want someone
new learning on your car. If the service advisor gives you any grief, or if he/she just blows off this
request...take the car to another Lexus or Toyota dealer in another town. Usually if something goes wrong,
some unethical dealers will deny,deny,deny and say you did something to cause the problem. You want
to find out their temperament before you let them start the work. Have them start the car in your presence
before you leave it so they can observe that the engine was running fine when you put it in their care...that
way they can't say it came in with some type of idle/run issue. Don't lose sleep over this...just take some
precautions so you don't have to become a squeaky wheel.

rlp1949

I have 53,000 miles on my 2002. I believe the timing belt is still the original and I agree it needs to be replaced. I've seen the write-ups here and thought I might have a good local shop do the work (with a print-out from this site's write-up). We do not have a Lexus dealer close by but we do have a Toyota dealer. Is this something that should be done by Toyota or Lexus?

tennman117

We have several independent Toyota/Lexus repair shops here that are more than qualified to perform the work. I went with my Lexus dealer since I was purchasing the car from them and they did it at their cost. They used genuine Lexus parts and the work is now documented on the Lexus dealer records.

Mine did not need seals and the serpentine belt had been replaced. They replaced the timing belt, water pump, and antifreeze.

I paid right around $700 plus tax.

Your Toyota dealer could certainly do the job. I would also check to see if their are any shops in your area that specialize in Toyota and Lexus work. Would not hurt to get a couple of estimates while you are getting a look at the shops.

2wPushkins

Sounds like good advice. I'm print out your post and going to bring it with me. I'm also going to talk to the Toyota dealer for a quote.

Thank you.